WALLER, Texas — Four-time Champ Car World Series champion Sebastien Bourdais and Canadian rookie Dalton Kellett have joined A.J. Foyt Racing to contest partial NTT IndyCar Series seasons.
The duo will share driving duties of the No. 14 entry with Tony Kanaan, who is set to compete in five oval races, including the Indianapolis 500 on May 24. Charlie Kimball will drive the team’s No. 4 entry for the full season.
Bourdais, who will pilot the No. 14 in four races, including the season opener in St. Petersburg, Fla. He will also compete at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Ala., the streets of Long Beach, Calif., and the road course in Portland, Ore.
Bourdais returns to Chevrolet power for the first time since the 2016 season. Born in Le Mans, France, nearly 12 years after Foyt’s triumph there in 1967, Bourdais now lives in St. Petersburg.
“I am such a lucky man,” Bourdais said. “Starting my IndyCar career driving for Paul Newman and Carl Haas, and now I get to drive for A.J. Foyt! I am both honored and thankful for the opportunity Larry and his team have provided me with. Staying in the NTT IndyCar series seemed like a long shot back in November. My teammates and I will be working very hard to deliver the results this organization deserves, and I can’t wait for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg to come.”
Kellett will make his IndyCar debut at the Circuit of the Americas race in Austin, Texas, on April 26. He will also compete in the Indianapolis Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500, both races in Detroit, Road America, the streets of Toronto, Mid-Ohio and Laguna Seca.
Kellett, 26, is a graduate of the Mazda Road to Indy driver development system. He competed in the US F-2000 Series, made a brief showing in the Pro Mazda Series and spent much of his time in the Indy Lights Series, where he ranked seventh in the final two seasons. In addition to Indy Lights in 2019, Kellett made a foray into the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship where he claimed three class victories and one pole in the LMP2 division.
“I am honored to compete in the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series with A.J. Foyt Racing,” Kellett said. “This opportunity is truly a dream come true for me, dating back to my days looking up to the drivers in INDYCAR back as a young go-karter. The pedigree and achievements of A.J. Foyt Racing are historic in our sport, and I can’t wait to contribute to their ongoing success.”
Team President Larry Foyt believes that the multi-driver roster will help the team regain its footing in the highly competitive NTT IndyCar Series this season. With Kanaan and Bourdais, who combined have won 54 races and 49 poles, plus an eager young driver like Kellett, Foyt is working towards building the team for the future.
“There will be many familiar faces in the Foyt garages this season, but there will be some new faces as well,” Foyt said. “Coming off a season we were disappointed with, changes were inevitable. I believe adding a multi-time champion like Sebastien Bourdais to our team will help us as we regroup and work to regain a competitive position. Being able to retain Indy 500 champion Tony Kanaan is another source of excitement and will serve to push our oval program to a place where we can fight for victories. Dalton Kellett is a young driver who is intelligent and motivated, and with the experience around him, we feel he has the potential to show great things. Altogether, the 14 car has an intriguing lineup, and I’m excited to see how it plays out.”